Holiday Helper Recipe #1 - Shrimp Wonton Cups

I'm SO excited that it's December. We finally have a little bit of snow on the ground and it feels more like the Christmas season.

Now's the time when we are either hosting holiday parties, or we are invited to those holiday parties. Sometimes you are making the food and sometimes you have to bring something to share.

Shrimp Wonton Cups are fantastic for these types of events. They make individual servings so it makes serving...well, a snap!

And they are ridiculously simple...as is usual for here.

If you aren't a seafood fan, you can easily substitute diced chicken if you prefer.

Shrimp Wonton Cups

24 wonton wrappers - you find these in your grocery section near your produce
1 T butter
10 oz shelled, deveined, cooked medium shrimp
2 green onions with tops - Mary never uses this
1 small carrot, grated - you can use baby carrots if you like
4 oz cream cheese softened
1 garlic clove, pressed - fresh garlic is KEY to this recipe
1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a mini muffin pan for this recipe. Melt butter. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush butter over one side of a wonton wrapper. Press gently, buttered side up, into each cup of the mini muffin pan. Bake 5 minutes or until slightly browned.

Basically, you are helping it set its shape as a cup.

If frozen, thaw shrimp in a colander. Reserve 24 shrimp. Remove tails from the rest and chop finely with a food chopper or knife. In a bowl, place chopped shrimp and cream cheese. Add garlic, Worcestershire, diced onions, grated carrots and shredded cheese. Mix until well blended.

Using a scoop, place one rounded scoop of cream cheese mixture into each wonton cup. Top with one reserved shrimp.

Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.

These can be served warm or cool and reheat easily.

Enjoy!